Meditate on the Spiritual Significance of Marriage In the 20th Anniversary Edition of this Gold Medallion Award winner, Mike Mason goes on a poetic search to understand the wondrous dynamics of committed love. In highly readable, first-person style, Mason's writing stimulates readers' thoughts and prayers and propels couples to deeper intimacy. "A marriage is not a joining of two worlds," says the author, "but an abandoning of two worlds in order that one new one might be formed." Rich chapters on "Otherness," "Vows," "Intimacy," "Sex," "Submission," and an all-new chapter on "Oneness" lift readers to view the eternal, spiritual nature of this faith-filled, "impossible," wild-yet wonderful-frontier. "The two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery." Ephesians 5:3132 Beautifully written and filled with life-transforming insights, the 20th anniversary edition of Mike Mason's unparalleled Gold Medallion winner explores the mystical and holy nature of marriage with a depth that will forever alter how a couple relates to each other-and to God. The Mystery of Marriage stands out from how-to manuals on marriage as a refreshing how-come book-a brilliant celebration of the God-ordained union between man and wife. "An outstanding achievement. Rarely has a book aroused in me so much enthusiasm as has the combination of wisdom, depth, dignity, and glow that I find in these chapters." -J.I. Packer "Absolutely exquisite. It reaches down deep into our innermost being, revealing, revitalizing, rewarding. A real classic." -Gigi Graham Tchividjian "A drop everything book. Mason deals with the stunning paradoxes of the mystery, the problems, and the glories of marriage. I don't need to read any other book on the subject." -Elisabeth Elliot Story Behind the Book Over the twenty years since its publication, many couples have told me that they've read my book aloud to each other. This always amazes me and gives me great joy. I'm also amazed that many single people have read it. Either way, my goal is for hearts to be warmed by the mystery of divine love. I want couples to enter into deeper intimacy by thinking together about the mystery of marriage -about how their love, besides being a gift of God, reflects the very love He has for Himself in the Trinity. For God is not a bachelor, and throughout the Bible marriage is a supreme picture of the nature of God's love and of His kingdom. I want people who read my book to feel so soaked in these wonderful, divine mysteries that it deepens their reverence for marriage and inspires them to greater love

Meditate on the Spiritual Significance of Marriage In the 20th Anniversary Edition of this Gold Medallion Award winner, Mike Mason goes on a poetic search to understand the wondrous dynamics of committed love. In highly readable, first-person style, Mason’s writing stimulates readers’ thoughts and prayers and propels couples to deeper intimacy. “A marriage is not a joining of two worlds,” says the author, “but an abandoning of two worlds in order that one new one might be formed.” Rich chapters on “Otherness,” “Vows,” “Intimacy,” “Sex,” “Submission,” and an all-new chapter on “Oneness” lift readers to view the eternal, spiritual nature of this faith-filled, “impossible,” wild—yet wonderful—frontier. “An outstanding achievement. Rarely has a book aroused in me so much enthusiasm as has the combination of wisdom, depth, dignity, and glow that I find in these chapters.” -J.I. Packer “Absolutely exquisite. It reaches down deep into our innermost being, revealing, revitalizing, rewarding. A real classic.” -Gigi Graham Tchividjian “A drop everything book. Mason deals with the stunning paradoxes of the mystery, the problems, and the glories of marriage. I don’t need to read any other book on the subject.” -Elisabeth Elliot Story Behind the Book "Over the twenty years since its publication, many couples have told me that they’ve read my book aloud to each other. This always amazes me and gives me great joy. I’m also amazed that many single people have read it. Either way, my goal is for hearts to be warmed by the mystery of divine love. I want couples to enter into deeper intimacy by thinking together about the mystery of marriage—about how their love, besides being a gift of God, reflects the very love He has for Himself in the Trinity. For God is not a bachelor, and throughout the Bible marriage is a supreme picture of the nature of God’s love and of His kingdom. I want people who read my book to feel so soaked in these wonderful, divine mysteries that it deepens their reverence for marriage and inspires them to greater love." -Mike Mason From the Trade Paperback edition.

In the deepest part of our hearts and souls is the desire to love well. Yet in our struggle to do so, we learn that, as Mike Mason puts it, "We are not born with love; it is something we must learn." Now, in Practicing the Presence of People, he helps us launch that learning process. Mason points the way to fresh knowledge and fresh experience, showing how we can discover new things about those we love, understand them from the inside out, tenderly identify with their weaknesses, and celebrate that they too were lovingly made by the hand of God. From the Trade Paperback edition.

There’s a rip in the blue umbrella, and time—and Chelsea—are slipping through! One moment she was there, the next moment she was not, and Ches Cholmondeley was watching when it happened. And he learns of other mysterious goings-on: for three days in a row the world’s atomic clocks have lost a second, resulting in bizarre accidents ranging from dropped casseroles to plane crashes. Are these events related? What’s a brother to do? Figure out a way to get his sister back, of course. In search of answers, Ches befriends the local clockmaker, Myron Stinchcombe, who knows a lot about time, and seeks out Sky Porter, who knows a lot about, well, everything. But time is running out. And Ches is torn, knowing that the very deed that can save the world might also keep his sister from ever returning to it.

Just as Mike Mason's best-selling The Mystery of Marriage explored the parallels between marriage and our relationship with God, so does The Mystery of Children illuminate key spiritual truths modeled in the complex parent-child relationship. More than a manual on parenting, this book is for everyone who wishes to become childlike in heart or to be closer to children-two desires that are intimately and wondrously entwined. Mike Mason is the author of The Mystery of Marriage, The Gospel According to Job, Champagne for the Soul, and Practicing the Presence of People. He and his wife, Karen, an M.D. in general practice, live in Langley, British Columbia, Canada, with their amazing daughter, Heather.

Anyone who has suffered knows that there is no such thing as "getting a grip on oneself" or "pulling oneself up by the bootstraps. The only bootstrap in the Christian life is the Cross," says Mason. "Sometimes laying hold of the cross can be comforting, but other times it is like picking up a snake." Job knew this firsthand. From him we learn that there are no easy answers to suffering. That the mark of true faith is not happiness, but rather, having one's deepest passions be engaged by the enormity of God. And through Job we learn the secret of the gospel: that "mercy is the permission to be human." The Lord never gave Job an explanation for all he had been through. His only answer was Himself. But as Job discovered, that was enough. The Gospel According to Job sensitively brings the reader to this realization, using a devotional commentary format that reminds them that it's all right to doubt, to be confused, to wonder–in short, to be completely human. But what will heal us and help us endure is a direct, transforming encounter with the living God.

"The injunction 'Get real' usually means 'Leave your world of fantasy and return to what really is.' True Realism always and everywhere is to find out where joy resides. In the past year this magical gift got lost or mislaid in my life. Mike Mason has located it, given it voice, and helped me to recover it. Even one sip of Champagne for the Soul is a heady, exhilarating experience." -Brennan Manning, author of A Glimpse of Jesus: The Stranger to Self-Hatred If you were given the chance to be happy for the rest of your life, wouldn't you jump at it? In Champagne for the Soul, bestselling author Mike Mason explains that the Bible does make this offer. Yet most of us hang back, reluctant and skeptical. Theologically most Christians will agree that the Bible teaches and offers a life of joy; yet deep down we're not convinced that such a life is practical-for us or any ordinary person. But, says Mason, such joy truly is ours to claim and embrace. What you now hold in your hands is a call to throw off all worries and complaints and to "come and share your master's happiness" (Matthew 25:21). Is it possible to live every day in joy? You will never know if you don't try. These pages, drawn from the author's own ninety-day experiment in actively pursuing joy, will lead you on a journey that will help you-no matter what your circumstances-to escape the trap of worry, fear, and dullness and grab hold of the joy of the Lord. Mike Mason is the best-selling author of several books, including The Mystery of Marriage, The Mystery of Children, The Gospel According to Job, and Practicing the Presence of People. He and his wife, Karen, an M.D. in general practice, live in Langely, British Columbia, Canada, with their teenage daughter, Heather.

This is the Spanish translation of Father Keating's Open Mind, Open Heart, the best-selling book of the Centering Prayer movement, with sales of over 100,000 copies. It joins Continuum's two other books in Spanish by Father Keating, El Misterio del Cristo and Invitacin a Amar, and Sister Margaret Mary Funk's El Coraz n en Paz (Thoughts Matter).Keating gives an overview of the history of contemplative prayer in the Christian tradition, and step-by-step guidance in the method of centering prayer. This book is designed to initiate the reader into a deep, living relationship with God.

Many people know that there is truth to behind the theory that thoughts and emotions affect the physical body, but not many know exactly how it works, or more importantly, how to use this knowledge to affect physical healing. Dina's story is her raw, real experience which takes readers from the hell of suicidal depression and addiction where she started, through how out of sheer desperation- she developed the 3x3 meditation technique which has been the key to her physical, mental and emotional healing. The book gives readers concrete steps on how they can use her 3x3 technique to get results in their own lives. Taking just 9 minutes per day, Dina's 3x3 meditation has enabled her healing from alcohol and food addiction, regulating high blood sugar and cholesterol, weight loss and even relationships with others. The key is not spending hours on end in meditation or visualization practice, but to engage multiple times per day in shorter bursts to consistently interrupt old thought patterns and negative thinking.

Marriage isn't easy. That's why thousands of couples have asked the counselors at Focus on the Family for insight into money, communication, and a host of other issues. Their collective wisdom is now available in one handy reference guide. The Complete Guide to the First Five Years of Marriage was designed to help spouses build a strong foundation for a lifetime partnership filled with genuine love and joy.

In an expanded and updated edition, two renowned relationship experts help engaged and newlywed couples build solid foundations for love, equipping them with the tools they need for a rock-solid marriage that will last a lifetime. 50,000 first printing. $40,000 ad/promo.

Samyama - Stillness in Action, Siddhis and Miracles covers a powerful yoga practice that has been shrouded in mystery for centuries. Yet, it is as close to us as our most immediate hopes and dreams, for it is the principles of Samyama that are operating behind everything good that is happening in our life. The key methods of Samyama are covered here, simplified to enable anyone to engage in daily practice leading to profound results. Our deepest desires can be enlivened by systematically letting go into our inner silence. Whatever we surrender will come back to us a thousand-fold, purified in a divine outpouring. This is Stillness in Action. Yogani is the author of two landmark books on the world's most effective spiritual practices: Advanced Yoga Practices - Easy Lessons for Ecstatic Living, a comprehensive user-friendly textbook, and The Secrets of Wilder, a powerful spiritual novel. The AYP Enlightenment Series makes these profound practices available for the first time in a series of concise instruction books. Samyama is the fifth book in the series, preceded by Asanas, Mudras and Bandhas, Tantra, Spinal Breathing Pranayama, and Deep Meditation.

Are you seeking simplicity, quiet, peace? The Celtic saints knew where to find it, and they will lead you on your pilgrimage. A Staff to the Pilgrim is a devotional treasure in which we meet nine Celtic saints who embody nine spiritual themes: simplicity (St. Ita), silence (St. Cuthbert), solitude (St. Melangell), a sense of place (St. Gwenfrewi), spirit (St. Hilda), supplication (St. Aidan), spiritual friendship (St. Brigid), a sense of mission (St. Brendan), and sanctity (St. David). Each chapter includes an introduction to the saint, heart-felt devotional essays that support each theme, the saint's tropar (prayer), and an original pen-and-ink illustration.A Staff to the Pilgrim is written by Fr. Gabriel Cooper Rochelle, MA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, an Orthodox priest with 50 years of interest in Celtic Christian spirituality. From the Foreword by poet Wally Swist: A Staff to the Pilgrim is an auspicious and true gift that combines the material and the physical with the spiritual and the transcendent. Fr Gabriel introduces the saints to us, then graciously hands us our own staff to be pilgrims on our way.

James Doty grew up in California, deeply poor, with an alcoholic father and an invalid mother who tried to commit suicide. His life was a dead end until the summer he was 12, when he stumbled into the Cactus Rabbit Magic Shop looking for a plastic thumb. Inside he encountered Ruth, who gave him a series of practices designed to ease his suffering and manifest his desires. Her final mandate was that he make sure to keep his heart open and to teach these techniques to others. Jim would go on to put Ruth's practices to work and experience extraordinary results - power, wealth, and expensive habits. But he neglects to mind Ruth's instruction to keep his heart open with disastrous results - until he has the opportunity to make a spectacular charitable contribution that will virtually ruin him. Part memoir, part science, part inspiration, and part practical instruction, Into the Magic Shop shows us the extraordinary things that happen when we harness the power of both the brain and the heart

An account of a spiritual journey to enlarge the emotional, mental and physical relationship with the divine reality within. Through step-by-step prayer and action, the book teaches the reader to believe in the Divine dwelling within as fully present and energizing every level of our being.